


Espresso Yourself

by Sterek_Eternally



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Barista Stiles Stilinski, Coffee Puns, Flirting, Laura Hale Lives, M/M, POV Derek Hale, compliments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:07:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29046630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sterek_Eternally/pseuds/Sterek_Eternally
Summary: Derek was a good brother who went to Starbucks to get Laura her ridiculously over-priced Peppermint Mocha Lattes to post on her Instagram. She didn't need to know that Derek wasn't going back because he was secretly a converted Starbucks fan, but for the cute barista leaving him notes - and who is quite possibly Derek's mate.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 16
Kudos: 131
Collections: A Very Sterek Winter 2021





	Espresso Yourself

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1 of A Very Sterek Winter. Theme: Compliments.
> 
> So, apparently it's National Compliment Day...do with that what you will.

Derek wasn’t new to compliments. He was well aware of how he looked and what scents his body tended to elicit. Though this was very much a first.

 _Are you a beaver? Because damn_. What was Derek even supposed to do with that? And it didn’t stop there, oh no. _Your smile is proof that the best things in life are free._ Derek felt pretty justified in not understanding what was going on. Was it meant to be an insult? Or a compliment? 

Laura wheezed on the floor – being entirely unhelpful when she was the one who got Derek into this mess in the first place.  
  
Though Derek had been the one swindled into going to Starbucks – on a Sunday, no less – just so Laura could have her ridiculous order of a Peppermint Mocha Latte to post on her Instagram. Something to do with aesthetics. Derek didn’t know what was so aesthetic about ordering a holiday drink in the middle of January – or paying a ridiculous amount for a fancy version of peppermint flavoured hot chocolate.

“This needs to be framed,” her evil cackles did nothing to ease Derek’s nerves screaming that Laura was definitely going to do something to embarrass him. So Derek needed to think of something fast.

“Weren’t you going to do an Instagram thing,” Derek thought that was a good distraction – until he got his hands on that Starbucks cups anyway.  
  
“But where could it go? The living room maybe? Or we could hang it in the kitchen,” Laura steamrolls over him. 

“Laura,” Derek whines, because he was at that point. 

“I’m face timing Cora.” Laura tries to fool him. If she was actually going to call Cora, she wouldn’t do it in front of him where he had the opportunity to stop it happening, despite Laura having the advantage of Alpha powers.

“She probably heard you all the way in South America.” Derek grumbles, tapping clawed fingers against the counter surface. If he couldn’t get the phone then he was going to get the damn cup.

Laura had that glint in her eye that meant trouble for Derek – and then Cora’s tired voice came through the phone. Derek’s stomach dropped. Fuck. “Hey Cora, you’ll never guess what?” Laura mock-whispers, shaking the cup tantalisingly, daring Derek to charge.

Derek adored Laura – truly, he did. And Cora, even though he was still bitter that she had left them for South America - but sometimes (read: right now) he wants to claw their throats out. 

“I hate you both,” Derek concedes defeat, but was still too stubborn to let Laura have the last word. Laura and Cora laughed as he slumps away, talking loudly for the next hour.

Derek was never going to Starbucks for Laura again.

* * *

Three days later and Derek had somehow been conned into going to Starbucks again. He says conned, in reality even though Laura mercilessly teases him, he wasn’t going to let her suffer without the help of caffeine. And also add in a healthy dose of Derek's instincts going haywire with worry for his sister and wanting to provide for his Alpha. 

Of course Derek was regretting it now – because the barista manning the counter was definitely the one who had left the insult/compliment.

The barista’s nametag read Stiles – which Derek was half convinced was a prank but he had seen weirder names in California so he went with it. Derek could smell the recognition as soon as he steps up to the counter; though Stiles didn’t become awkward or flustered like Derek had expected. Instead Stiles smirked and Derek was confronted with the fact that the barista was cute. Fuck his life.

“Good afternoon, can I take your order?” Stiles pretends like everything was normal – like he hadn’t given Derek an existential crisis trying to find out the secret meaning of a shitty beaver pun (and the sentence that came after).

“I’m not a beaver.” Apparently, Derek likes to put his foot in his mouth - and embarrass himself in the process. 

“What?” Stiles seems confused.

It wasn’t busy at Starbucks – sluggish truthfully – the only customers being a writer in the corner and an old couple but even an audience of three was too many. Derek didn’t know how he was going to get himself out of this predicament short of running, and this was the closest coffee shop for miles.

“I’m not a beaver.” Derek runs with it, despite not knowing where he was taking this.

“I didn’t say you were?” Stiles’ eyebrows got higher and higher as he continues to play stupid. Derek wasn’t fooled. He could see the twitches where Stiles was fighting off a smile.

“Yes you did.” Derek crossed his arms. At the very least he was going to get an answer on what it was meant to mean.

“It was a compliment,” Stiles gave in easily. 

Well that was one question answered. Now Derek had to find out why Stiles thought it was a good compliment.

“You know…” Stiles isn’t done, apparently “because you have a pretty smile, especially with the adorable bunny teeth,” Stiles easily reads his mind. Derek was fairly sure that Stiles had melted his brain and Derek could not tell if it was purposeful or not.

“Do you want to order the same as last time?” Stiles moves on like it’s no big deal. Derek was reminded of his reason for being at this stupid coffee shop in the first place – fucking Laura.

“And a black coffee,” Derek murmurs. Derek was surprised he even managed to get that out.

“Oh you’re one of those people,” Stiles nods his head as if he had connected the dots. Derek wonders what dots Stiles thinks he’s connected when Stiles bustles around with perfected ease. Derek looks around while he waits. He was the only one at the counter and only a couple of people were sitting inside, already sipping their lattes or cappuccinos or americanos and however many else there were. If Derek didn’t know what rush hour was like he’d call the place cozy.

“Your name?” Stiles smirks, twirling a pen between his fingers and leaning his entire side on the counter - simultaneously brining him closer to Derek. Which was about when he caught sight of how good Stiles smells without the over layer of coffee beans and sugar.

“Why would I give you my name?” Derek was confused.

“For the cup,” Stiles was openly mocking him now.

“Oh,” Derek replied lamely – yeah he wasn’t the most knowledgeable in coffee shop language. 

“Yeah, oh,” Stiles teases him and waits expectantly.

“Laura,” Derek answers without thinking, “wait no, the latte is for Laura. I’m Derek.” Derek could not make this any worse surely. 

Derek didn’t particularly care if people thought his name was Laura – if they found it weird they obviously need to revaluate their priorities. But he didn’t want the misunderstanding when he came again. And he was talking as if he was coming back. Derek didn’t even like Starbucks and their stupidly over-priced coffee - but he did definitely like Stiles and his too good scent.

“Derek,” Stiles tests it, and Derek knew that had been purposeful. “I like your name,” Stiles rests his chin in the palm of his hand. 

“What kind of name is Stiles?” Derek retorts, half to continue their banter and half out of curiosity. 

“The easiest name to say so I don’t need to watch people have aneurysms trying to pronounce my very polish name.” Stiles shrugs. Which was fair, Derek wondered how many times Stiles had to deal with that exactly. 

“What do you think, does Stiles suit me?” Stiles leaned impossibly closer. Derek inhaled more of the warm happiness and contentment that made up Stiles’ scent.

“It suits you,” Derek grins. It had been a while since he had bantered with someone who wasn't his sister. 

“Does it now?” Stiles teases.

“It’s the sort of name you can easily say…” Derek tries to keep a straight face as Stiles leers. “…in exasperation,” Derek finishes. Stiles pretends to look offended and gears up for a comeback when a voice cuts through.

“Am I getting my coffee today or what?” An annoyed customer interrupts.

Derek immediately wants to shove him against a wall and growl at him. He settles for standing aside and glaring at the back of the rude customer’s head until he hurries away with his cappuccino. Then Derek’s attention was driven away by Stiles shoving a muffin in his hand. 

“Here, you look like the blueberry muffin type of guy,” Stiles openly laughs at his dumb-folded face. Well, Stiles wasn’t wrong, but Derek wasn’t going to say as much.

Stiles also slid over Laura’s Peppermint Mocha Latte and his black coffee…which had somehow turned into a sprinkle haven. Topped with whipped cream. Derek’s eyes caught onto the black scrawl on the side.

“Is that another compliment? What does it say?” Derek reaches for it - filled with an anticipation he didn't expect for what was probably another shitty compliment - only for Stiles to slap his hand away. 

“It won’t be as much fun if I just tell you, it’ll ruin the gesture,” Stiles had a glint in his eyes that told him Stiles didn’t care about the gesture and just wanted to make Derek wait. 

“What does this one call me? A toad?” Derek snips because he likes having the last word. Stiles juts his unfairly cute nose in the air and Derek wonders if perhaps he had made a mistake. 

“I'll have you know I am the king of compliments," Stiles actually sounds like he believes that.

"Oh really?" Derek couldn't resist teasing.

"Oh you have no idea what’s coming for you big guy, I’m going to compliment the shit out of you,” Stiles sounds too determined for Derek not to believe him this time. But of course Derek’s phone vibrates before he could continue and as much as he would like to stay longer and banter with Stiles and be surrounded by his unnaturally good scent, Derek wasn’t going to risk Laura's curiosity on why he was taking so long.

“I have to go,” Derek did a shit job at keeping the disappointment out of his voice. He was confused by how much he did not want to leave.

“You better come back because I still need to compliment the shit out of you. If you don’t you lose,” Stiles looks ready to battle him for it. And well, how was Derek not supposed to be convinced by that?

“I will,” Derek smiles. Stiles beams at him and it takes a surprising amount of effort to get him moving towards the door. Derek barely makes it around the corner before turning over his cup to read the scribbled marker.

 _I like the way you espresso yourself. With your eyebrows_. Derek sighs. This one was better, although Derek didn't know if it was because he wasn't called a beaver or because the pun was actually related.

* * *

“You’re back,” Stiles seems surprised. 

“I said I would be,” Derek tries to be nonchalant when really he had spent the last ten minutes psyching himself up before coming inside.

“I didn’t think you actually would, most people can’t handle a shift with me and we don’t even talk all that much,” Stiles grins. Derek immediately wants to find Stiles’ co-workers and just ask how they managed to ignore Stiles when in his vicinity?

“I like talking to you,” Derek admits. 

And he does, surprisingly. Even though the talking was bickering and banter like they had known each other longer than a single thirty minute interaction – Stiles had left an impression on him. Although he was positive that Stiles left impressions on a lot of people.

“Not just because you get compliments,” Stiles probes. Derek can tell that he's brimming with curiosity but Derek wasn't going to give him the satisfaction just yet. 

“Last time I checked compliments don’t pay for my coffee.” Derek snorts, “Not that I get what I order,” Derek adds.

“Oh please, like you actually drink black coffee,” Stiles didn’t give a single shit. 

“And how do you know that?” Derek raises an eyebrow. 

“You’re too sweet to drink something so bitter,” Stiles uses his response for a stupid pick up line.

Derek gives Stiles a look to let him know exactly how unimpressed Derek was with his cheesy pick up line. Either Stiles didn’t pick up Derek’s bemusement or simply didn’t care because all he did in response was smirk and gulp his drink. 

“Why are you drinking tea at a coffee shop?” Derek deflects. If he spent longer staring at Stiles’ mouth he would’ve done something stupid. Like lean over the counter and occupy it with something else – like his lips, maybe. 

“I’m banned from having more than three cups of coffee because I become a nuisance and a distraction when I’m hyper.” Stiles recites. Derek wonders how many times the words were repeated for Stiles to have memorised them. 

“Why are you judging anyway, Mr. I like black coffee as dark as my soul but is secretly a blueberry muffin?” Stiles manages to get the air quotes across. 

“Did you just call me a blueberry muffin?” Derek wasn’t impressed.

“Duh.” Stiles rolls his eyes as if it were obvious.

“Well…you smell nice,” Derek cringes. Maybe he should leave the shitty compliments to Stiles.

“I smell nice?” Stiles repeats, openly mocking him. Derek could see the gears in Stiles’ head turning “Oh, you’re a werewolf?” Stiles put it together quickly. 

“Why is it a deal-breaker?” Derek didn’t bother lying about it. 

“Dude you should have told me sooner, I’ve been wasting my time with coffee jokes when I could have been making wolf ones,” Stiles sounds disappointed by that too. Derek would honestly rather anything else – and he told Stiles as much.

“No. Just no.” Derek deadpans.

Stiles pouts, jutting out his bottom lip and widening his eyes as if all it takes is a sad look to get Derek to change his mind. Although Derek was well on his way there already. Even though he had only one other interaction with Stiles and Derek wanted to lean over and scratch his stubble against the neck and lick his moles and taste his scent. Oh.

That was new, and dizzying.

Derek had heard about the effects of potential mates - Stiles’ scent should have been his first clue, no natural scent smelled that good. Stiles slid a Peppermint Mocha Latte – even though Laura didn’t even ask for one this time – and a blueberry muffin across the counter. Derek decided to ignore the potential mate thing until later. But now all he can think about is Stiles' scent. 

“Are you coming tomorrow?” Stiles turns to face him and what was Derek supposed to do? Say no?

“Yes.” Derek answers without even thinking about it. He’d come again forever if Stiles wanted him to.

Derek barely made it out of the door this time before he unwrapped the napkin from the muffin to read the note. 

_You mocha me very happy. With just your humour. Though sarcasm and dry humour is my land, sorry._ God, he was gone for Stiles.

Laura could never know.

* * *

Derek was surprised it had taken this long for Laura to figure out that he wasn’t a secretly converted Starbucks fan. That Derek had been going back for something – or someone – else. 

But now Laura knew – and she wasn’t letting Derek forget it.

He felt guilty at first for hurting Laura by not telling her. Up until she used it as justification to tag along to Derek’s next visit to meet the “mysterious person who had broken Derek’s eternal curse of grumpiness.” (Thanks, Laura.)

“Well?” Laura raises a brow. “Where is he?” 

“Maybe he isn’t working today.” Derek shrugs. His eyes looking at the staff room door where Stiles had just walked out of.

“Hey Sourwolf,” Stiles sidles up beside him.

“Sourwolf?” Laura repeats, and she was definitely not going to let that go anytime soon. But right now Derek was going to ignore her and pretend she wasn’t there. Stiles seems to understand - he always does - and slides over a blueberry muffin with a smirk. 

“Are you Starbucks boy?” Laura goes straight to the point. Stiles grins, which in itself was an answer enough. “You’re my new favourite,” She declares and Stiles went along with it, fist bumping her.

Derek was starting to think that he was the third wheel here and not Laura. 

“Sorry I can’t return the sentiment. Derek is my favourite.” Stiles winks at him – Derek didn’t know why he expected any different. Stiles could never pass up the chance to tease him. 

Laura was grinning like a wolf – Fuck, Derek needed a break from Stiles – and shaking with barely suppressed excitement. 

Derek reaches for his muffin and opened the napkin.

 _You look pretty in blue. It might be my new favourite colour_. Derek glances down at his blue sweater – one of the only pieces of colour in his wardrobe – and decides that it doesn’t need to be shoved in the back of his closet after today.

Fortunately, Derek had the hindsight and the instincts to keep the note clutched close to him before Laura tried to snatch it - and end up ripping it in the process. By her pout, Derek’s guessing she knows her plan has been discovered.

“I like him.” Laura approves – which was basically her early acceptance of inviting Stiles into the pack. “I wonder what he’ll think when you tell him he’s your mate.” Laura lays back in her chair like the cat who got the cream.

“Laura!” Derek whisper shouts, louder than he intended to. Laura’s only response was to continue waggling her fucking eyebrows. Derek didn't know why he expected any different.

Stiles came back and forth every couple of minutes, chatting with Laura and earning enough blackmail material on Derek to last a lifetime. Derek didn’t mind it as much if it meant forever. Though he wasn’t looking forward to the budding relationship between Stiles and Laura that was purely based on torturing Derek. 

“This is the end of my shift,” Stiles told Laura. Derek didn’t know what the conversation was about but Derek took the opportunity while it was there.

“I’ll walk you home,” Derek offers without hesitation. Laura’s gleeful expression meant trouble for Derek when he got home but he was only glad that he would at least get some alone time with Stiles. 

Stiles left to pack up his things and Laura went to the bathroom leaving Derek alone to order another refill – because if dealing with Laura was bad, dealing with both Laura and Stiles? Derek might as well have brought alcohol.

Derek glances down at his cup where there were cursive letters curling around the sides: _You’re cute, here’s my number. Hit me up later?_

Clearly, this wasn’t from Stiles since he exclusively only gave his cheesy pick up line-compliments in blueberry muffins since the Peppermint Mocha Latte Incident. Derek tossed the cup in the bin, meeting Stiles in the middle despite the fact that he was beside the door. Jesus Christ, he was so far gone. 

“Ready to go?” Stiles’ voice was muffled by the hoodie he had zipped up to the nose. Derek likes it a little too much.

They walk in relative silence to Stiles’ apartment with Stiles pressed up against his arm. Derek had been breathing in Stiles’ scent since they started walking. 

“Hey Derek,” Stiles sounds hesitant, which was a first, “why did you throw that note away?”

It took Derek an embarrassingly long time to realise what Stiles was talking about.

“Because it wasn’t from you.” Derek said so matter of fact. He didn’t know why Stiles expected any less. Would any other normal person go to a coffee shop and pay for said expensive coffee just for compliments? Derek thought it’d been pretty obvious what he was coming back for.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” Stiles sounds as breathless as Derek felt. 

“As in a friend way or a more than friends way?” Derek had to clarify. Only because liked dishing out his own amount of teasing. 

“Do you normally kiss your friends?” Stiles raises a brow, dishing it right back. 

“I’m guessing in the more than friends way then?” Derek still wasn’t done.

“Yes, you dumbass,” Stiles says, before kissing him. Derek would happily suffocate to keep his lips on Stiles'.

“Are we going out now?” Derek asked in between kisses. 

“Do I not get the question?” Stiles teases, flush high on his cheeks and spreading across his nose.

“Go out with me?” Derek fulfils his request. 

“Of course, if you didn’t know I like you a latte.” Stiles couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

“One day you’re going to run out of coffee puns.” Derek sighs. At least he was hoping so. Stiles smirks like he knew exactly what Derek was thinking.

“Then I’ll move onto wolf puns.” Stiles was smug with the subtle threat. Derek kissed him again.

He’s looking forward to it.


End file.
